Having proceeded to No. 3 Initial Training Wing, the Second World War had broken out by the time Tracey had completed his flight instruction and was consequently awarded
wings. He was granted a
short service commission, for four years, and was made an acting
pilot officer with effect from 9 October 1939. He went on to
No. 3 Service Flying Training School at
South Cerney for further training and in late April 1940 was assigned to an instructors course. The following month he went to
No. 60 Operational Training Unit to convert to the
Hawker Hurricane fighter.
Battle of Britain On 6 July, Tracey was posted to
No. 79 Squadron. At the time, his squadron, which operated the Hurricane, was based at
Biggin Hill but shortly afterwards moved to
RAF Acklington, in the
Midlands, forming part of the area's aerial defences. Under the control No. 13 Group, it fought in several engagements over the
North Sea and in one of these, an interception on 15 August of a large (German air force) raid heading for
Newcastle, Tracey destroyed a
Heinkel He 111 medium bomber. No. 79 Squadron returned to Biggin Hill on 26 August and was promptly heavily engaged in the aerial battles over London as the
Luftwaffe began to focus its efforts on the city. On 28 August, Tracey claimed a He 111 as probably destroyed and also damaged a
Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter. His Hurricane was damaged in the encounter and he landed back at Biggin Hill, just as it was being bombed. Attempting to take off, he had to abort his effort due to his aircraft receiving shrapnel damage from nearby bomb blasts. Although he was unhurt, other RAF personnel were killed in the bombing raid. Two days later, about south of Biggin Hill, he destroyed another He 111. The following day, 31 August, he shot down a
Dornier Do 17 medium bomber over
Dungeness in
Kent. On 5 September Biggin Hill was again targeted by an incoming bomber raid, but No. 79 Squadron was able to intercept it. Tracey claimed a Do 17 as probably destroyed. A few days afterwards the squadron was sent to
Pembrey for a rest and refit and from here it resumed operational flying, mostly convoy patrols with the occasional interception of bombing raids on the area around the
Bristol Channel. On 21 September, Tracey claimed a Do 17 as probably destroyed west of
St David's Head in southwest Wales. He was confirmed in his pilot officer rank in November.
Middle East In early 1941, Tracey was assigned to service overseas and, in March, was posted to
No. 274 Squadron, which was stationed at
El Amiriya in Egypt. At the time he joined the squadron, it was resting after having been engaged in operations against Italian forces in Libya. In April, Tracey was promoted to
flying officer. During the
Battle of Crete, No. 274 Squadron, now based further west in Egypt, at Gerawla, flew in support of the Allied forces on the island, flying patrols over the shipping in the area and strafing the German forces that had landed on Crete. During this time, on 26 May, Tracey destroyed a
Junkers Ju 52 transport plane over
Maleme. A Bf 109 then chased him and Tracey went into a dive; while he pulled out, his pursuer did not and crashed into the sea. Tracey was credited with this Bf 109 as an aerial victory. Three days later, while patrolling over the
Royal Navy ships evacuating Allied forces from Crete, Tracey shot down a
Junkers Ju 88 medium bomber. The following month No. 274 Squadron was back to operations over the
Western Desert, still flying from Gerawla. Tracey was promoted to
flight lieutenant in late August and was appointed one of the squadron's
flight commanders. The squadron mostly carried out ground support operations, strafing
Axis transports and troops. During
Operation Crusader, while flying in the Sidi Rezegh area on 1 December, one of the squadron's Hurricanes, piloted by
Lieutenant Hoffe of the
South African Air Force, force landed in the desert, close to the Axis ground troops. Tracey made a landing to pick up Hoffe and returned him to base. On 8 December, No. 274 Squadron was engaged in an escort mission, accompanying
Bristol Blenheim light bombers attacking Axis positions to the southwest of
El Adem. They encountered German and Italian fighters and engaged them. However, their opposition were soon reinforced and the RAF fighters became outnumbered. Tracey was seen engaging a
Macchi C.200 fighter of the
Regia Aeronautica (Italian Air Force) but his Hurricane received machine gun fire to the cockpit area and dived into the ground, where it burst into flames. Tracey was given a battlefield burial near his crashed aircraft. Tracey was posthumously awarded the
Distinguished Flying Cross, the announcement being made in
The London Gazette on 6 October 1942. The citation noted Tracey's feat in rescuing Hoffe and also credited him with six enemy aircraft destroyed. Aviation historians Christopher Shores and Clive Wiliams credit him with six German aircraft destroyed, three probably destroyed and one damaged. After the war, Tracey's remains were reinterred at
Halfaya Sollum War Cemetery in Egypt. He was survived by his wife, Frances , who he had married in England, and his son, and they subsequently emigrated to New Zealand and settled in Tracey's home town of Dunedin. ==Notes==